Mix everything but the chicken breasts in a sauce pan over medium heat until blended (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.

Put chicken breasts in a zip-top bag and cover with the cooled marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it, and toss it in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, overnight is better.

Set up your grill for a direct cook over medium (350°F) heat.

Remove the breasts from the marinade. Save the marinade. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil for about 3 minutes, until the marinade has thickened to the point that it will coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Pour off 1/2 cup of the marinade to use for basting the chicken. Save the rest to pour over the top when done.

Season the breasts on both sides with a little salt and pepper.

Grill the breasts 10 minutes on one side, flip and grill another 5 minutes on the second side. Brush with marinade and grill for 5 more minutes. Flip, brush, and grill until the the juices just start to run clear or the internal temperature of the chicken hits 160°F.

Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Top with the reserved marinade.

Like this:

Sweet scallops meet savory, smoky bacon. This is a dish that I would typically make on the Big Green Egg, but Bella is out of commission this week pending the completion of our new deck so i had to resort to using the broiler.

Combine the scallops and the teriyaki sauce in a shallow bowl and marinate for about 15 minutes.

Place the bacon strips on a broiler pan and bake until they just start to get brown around the edges, but are still very pliable, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

When the bacon is cool, slice each strip in half. Wrap each scallop with half a strip of bacon and thread onto a skewer. Get about 5 or 6 scallops on each skewer.

Set the oven’s broiler on low.

Arrange the bacon-wrapped scallops on a broiler pan. Sprinkle each side with barbecue rub. Broil 8 to 10 minutes per side, until the bacon is crispy and the scallops turn opaque.

Heat a 4-6 quart dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the roast and sear on all sides (about 4 minutes a side). Remove from heat and add the both the jarred peppers, onion, garlic, wine, and water. Put the lid on the pot and move it to the oven.

Cook for 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is falling apart tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the roast and veggies to serving dish and keep warm. Let the remaining juices in the pot settle for about 5 minutes and then skim the fat off with a big spoon. Bring the juices to a simmer and then pour over the roast.

Like this:

Fajitas are a great, simple dish for summer. You’ve got your smokey meat, tender veggies, spicy chiles, and all without having to fire up the stove – what’s not to love? I used sirloin steak for this recipe, but it’s also excellent with flank steak, skirt steak, tri-tip, or cena.

Create a marinade by whisking together the lime juice, oil, chili, soy sauce, garlic, salt and oregano in a small bowl. Place the steak in a large zip-top bag and cover with half of the marinade. Squeezed the air out of the bag, seal it, and toss it in the fridge to marinate.

Put the peppers, onion, and zucchini in another large zip-top bag and cover with the remaining marinade. Squeezed the air out of the bag, seal it, and toss it in the fridge next to the steak.

Set your grill up for a direct cook over high (500°F+) heat.

Remove the steak from the marinade and grill for 4-5 minutes per side. We’re looking for medium rare with a nice char on the outside.

Remove the steak and set aside to rest. Put the veggies in a grill pan or veggie basket and grill until they are soft and just a little browned, about 5-10 minutes.

Remove the veggies from the grill and arrange on a serving platter.

Slice the steak into thin strips, cutting against the grain. Arrange the strips on top of the veggies and give the whole thing a big squeeze of lime before serving.

Like this:

The is the first in a series of posts where I take a good recipe and tweak it (usually with the addition of smoke and fire) to try to make it a great recipe.

Here’s my original take on this recipe from February of last year – a rich and hearty braised dish that I make on a regular basis when it’s cold and nasty out. While this is a fine dish, it takes some time to prepare so it’s hard to make on a weeknight. I wanted to make a lighter, quicker version that could be done on the grill.

In a flame-proof skillet (I use an old Calphalon Commercial pan), add enough of the oil to cover the bottom and set it on the grill. Add the garlic and onion and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine and cook until the tomatoes start to break down and the liquid has reduced a bit, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Remove the pan from the grill and set aside.

Season the steaks on both sides with a little salt and pepper. Grill for about 2 minutes a side until done. Serve the steaks smothered with the tomato and mushroom mixture.

Revamp Verdict:

Sadly, this dish wasn’t nearly as good as the original. I’d almost call it Grilled Swiss Misteak. Now, there were no complaints – it was tasty, and a perfectly fine meal for a Wednesday night. But in comparison to the slow-cooked original, there was no contest. It missed the melting texture of the meat and the richness of the sauce that only braising can give. Oh well, there’s always the consolation of being able to eat your failures. Better luck next time.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the garlic and onion until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mango, chile flakes, soy sauce, lime juice, and shrimp. Cook just until shrimp turn pink, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and remove pan from heat.

Like this:

We’re not yet getting the coveted Copper River salmon in yet, but we are getting some very nice Pacific wild-caught. This particular fillet was the nicest one we’ve had all year. For this meal I wanted to spice things up a bit, but not overwhelm the salmon.

Use a food-grade plank that’s been soaked in water for at least an hour. Set your grill up for direct cooking at medium-high heat (about 450°F).

Put the plank on the grill by itself with the lid up for about 5 minutes, or until you see just a little smoke coming from the board. Flip the plank over and put the salmon on skin side down on the hot side of the plank.

Close the lid on the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes. I like salmon best when it’s medium rare, so take the fillet off when it jut starts to flake, but is still a little translucent red inside – about 130°F internal. The fish will continue to cook a little once it’s off the heat, so take it off when it’s slightly underdone.

It really pays to look for a uniformly shaped fillet. This one cooked very evenly and stayed wonderfully moist – except for those crispy bits at the very edge where the salmon barely fit on the board, but even those where tasty.